Product Description

Developed to follow the classic Saxon model of incremental development and continuous review, Hake's Grammar and Writing is a comprehensive English language curriculum that incorporates grammar, writing, spelling, and vocabulary development. Core-knowledge content, such as history, geography, science, and literature, is also embedded in the curriculum.

This kit includes a Student Textbook with approximately 110 lessons, a Student Workbook, and a Teacher Packet. The Student Text is written directly to the student and provides instruction on key grammar and usage concepts through dictations, journal topics and writing exercises; the workbook provides additional practice opportunities.

The Teacher Packet includes a short message to the teacher, schedule, a complete set of answer keys (for the textbook practice and review sets, writing lessons, tests, and more practice worksheets), and test masters. Tests are designed to be administered every 5 lessons (after the first 10).

Homeschool Specialists' Review

I've always been a big fan of the Saxon Math teaching method, which facilitates the learning process through long-term repetition. My six children, with a wide range of learning styles, have all benefited from this approach. So we were thrilled when we found a writing and grammar course that utilized the same principles.

Hake's Grammar and Writing presents a new grammar or writing concept every day with review exercises that allow the student to continue practicing concepts previously learned. The detailed lesson presentation encourages students to be self-guided throughout, with very little intervention by the parent/teacher. My three boys have all acquired excellent writing and grammar skills through the use of this program.

Kits include student text and workbook with 107 to 112 lessons; and teacher's packet with test masters and answer keys. Grade 4 to 8. From Saxon.

I've been using the Saxon Grammar books since they came out, and have been pleased for the most part. However, I'm very disappointed in the poor proof reading of the Level 7 books. Not only are there many many errors between the teachers manual and lesson book, but they missed lessons and give all the punctuation answers in the book and tests. Out of all the books I've used this one took the cake for mistakes and poor quality. While I've recommended these books to many, I would not recommend the lesson 7 book, but if you must use it. Please be aware of all the mistakes riddled throughout the books. Saxon typically has supplied corrections to their Math books on their website, but I've yet to find any acknowledgement of these errors. I'd wait for the second addition before using these books. Enjoy the concept but Saxon really needs to discount these books if they want to sell defected books. Very disappointed!

I teach middle school at a small private Christian school. I used the 7th grade Hakes/Saxon grammar with my class this year. I LOVE the content in the book! I really like how it reviewed, reviewed, reviewed. I also love all of the other references to literature!

There are a few cons, however. As others have mentioned, the books are paperback with newsprint pages...not durable at all!

On occasion, the answer key is obviously wrong (misspelled answer or answer doesn't match the question).

The student text skips a number in the practice section (likes goes from 21 to 23), so they could have used another round of editing.

Lastly, the tests for the 7th grade ALL have the punctuation already provided. For example, the question will state, "Place the correct punctuation and circle the capitalization errors in the following sentence:" Then it will give a sentence with all of the errors already corrected, so there is nothing for the student to do.

EVEN with the above mentioned "cons" I still HIGHLY recommend this series! I intend to use the 8th grade grammar next year with my class.

What I like:Constant review, as in Saxon Math, helps students remember concepts.It teaches diagramming, which is a good visual way to understand how sentences are put together.It includes writing every day.The difficulty of the content is just right for the grade level.It teaches vocabulary words using Latin and Greek roots, and reviews them.For your information:Students must plan to spend an hour or so every day working on the grammar lesson and writing. The extra practice problems seem superfluous.The quality of the binding and the paper inside is not very good, so you should expect that the student book can be used by only one student.

I also have been wanting a Saxon grammar/ writing curriculum to come out like this. I feel that it is excellent for a number of reasons. It has a very clean and user-friendly look for the student and the teacher. The teacher book has a chart at the beginning which shows what days the student has a grammar lesson and which days he has a grammar/vocabulary test plus writing assignment. The box on the top of the page at the beginning of each grammar lesson starts with the vocabulary, which is only about 2 or 3 words. They are logically connected either by similar spelling or same root word.On Mondays, or 1st day of the 'new week', the student copies a dictation paragraph which are all contained in the back of the book, and then is tested on Friday via dictation. On Tue.,Wed. and Thur., or middle days, they write several sentences on a journal topic. The back of the book contains 100 journal topics. On the days of a writing assignment, and it is never assigned to do both the grammar book and writing book on the same day, the teacher can take the liberty of taking more days as necessary to complete the assignment, and I have found this to be needed. But because the assignment chart shows only 140 school days of planning, there is timeto allow for it. The books are softcover and printed on newsprint type paper, similar to a phone book, but the grammar book has 692 pages, and I would rather have the good content that this has, than have less, even with a hardcover. Different things work for different students and teachers, but I'm real happy to be using it this year!!!